IPL 2024: With fifth straight loss, RCB looks destined for another doomed campaign | Cricket News

After six defeats in seven games, five on the trot with a 25-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB’s IPL 2024 dreams are in danger of ending even before competition for the knockout spots begins in right earnest.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli is clean bowled as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Heinrich Klaasen (L) celebrates his dismissal during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 15, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

New Delhi: As it is, after 16 fruitless attempts, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were under pressure even before IPL 2024.

That their women’s team, led by Smriti Mandhana, won the Indian Women’s League on their second attempt, didn’t help as social media chatter demanded their men to emulate that feat.

But after six defeats in seven games, five on the trot with a 25-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, their dreams are in danger of ending even before competition for the knockout spots begins in right earnest.

Not even Virat Kohli’s league leading 361 runs has been enough for them to produce wins. The former RCB skipper has scored at an average of 72.20 with a strike rate of 147.34, including a century and two fifties to be the Orange Cap holder.

But even his unbeaten 113 couldn’t inspire them to victory over Rajasthan Royals earlier in the tournament.

Weak bowling

At their home of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, their weak bowling was exposed once again. SRH has already had set the record for the highest IPL total through their 277/3 against Mumbai Indians earlier in the tournament.

They needed no second invitation to have a real go at the halpess RCB bowlers as Travis Head (102 off 41 balls) struck the fourth quickest ton in IPL history.

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis used six bowlers to stem the run bleed but all conceded at a rate of over 10 runs per over with Recee Topley the most expensive at 1/68 in his four overs.

SRH smashed their own record to post 287/3, the highest score by an IPL team. RCB replied with 262/7, the fifth highest score in the tournament as well as the highest second innings total.

But even the pyrotechnics of Dinesh Karthik (35-ball 83), du Plessis (28-ball 62) and Kohli’s 20-ball 42 fell short, leaving RCB to fend more answers as questions pile up for what looks like yet another failed campaign.

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